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The salary for a Business Development Lead averages around $118,868 per year, translating to approximately $57 per hour. This compensation varies by factors such as location, industry, and experience. Those in the top-paying states often earn significantly more, reflecting local market conditions and demand for skilled professionals.
Experience levels play a significant role in determining salary. Entry-level positions may start lower, while seasoned professionals can command higher salaries. Additionally, industries such as technology and finance tend to offer more competitive pay compared to others.
States like California and New York lead in offering the highest salaries for Business Development Leads, driven by their robust job markets and higher living costs. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers make informed decisions about career opportunities.
For those considering a career in business development, knowing the salary landscape is vital. Leverage this information to negotiate better pay and find roles that align with your financial goals.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level business development lead | $88,200 | $42.42 |
| Mid-level business development lead | $94,200 | $45.31 |
| Senior-level business development lead | $214,000 | $103.08 |
The highest-paying states for business development leads are California, Massachusetts, and Oregon. The lowest average business development lead salary states are Alabama, Florida, and Wyoming.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $131,187 | $63.07 |
| 2 | Michigan | $120,101 | $57.74 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $138,087 | $66.39 |
| 4 | Oregon | $136,859 | $65.80 |
| 5 | Missouri | $120,643 | $58.00 |
| 6 | Idaho | $118,572 | $57.01 |
| 7 | California | $138,681 | $66.67 |
| 8 | Nevada | $114,325 | $54.96 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $127,518 | $61.31 |
| 10 | Washington | $135,744 | $65.26 |
| 11 | Virginia | $128,941 | $61.99 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $118,379 | $56.91 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $115,314 | $55.44 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $109,819 | $52.80 |
| 15 | Montana | $110,076 | $52.92 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $122,483 | $58.89 |
| 17 | Utah | $108,076 | $51.96 |
| 18 | Alaska | $111,132 | $53.43 |
| 19 | West Virginia | $110,899 | $53.32 |
| 20 | Illinois | $116,699 | $56.11 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $120,703 | $58.03 |
| 22 | Ohio | $103,966 | $49.98 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $114,307 | $54.96 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $116,378 | $55.95 |
| 25 | Texas | $109,185 | $52.49 |
| 26 | Maine | $114,990 | $55.28 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $102,160 | $49.12 |
| 28 | Vermont | $113,791 | $54.71 |
| 29 | Indiana | $103,613 | $49.81 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $100,828 | $48.48 |
| 31 | Delaware | $116,404 | $55.96 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $102,599 | $49.33 |
| 33 | New York | $112,291 | $53.99 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $100,269 | $48.21 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $104,395 | $50.19 |
| 36 | Iowa | $99,993 | $48.07 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $99,681 | $47.92 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $97,740 | $46.99 |
| 39 | Kansas | $96,540 | $46.41 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $95,854 | $46.08 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $101,323 | $48.71 |
| 42 | Maryland | $111,525 | $53.62 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $98,118 | $47.17 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $95,635 | $45.98 |
| 45 | Colorado | $102,019 | $49.05 |
| 46 | Alabama | $94,773 | $45.56 |
| 47 | Florida | $94,571 | $45.47 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $90,716 | $43.61 |
| 49 | Georgia | $89,791 | $43.17 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $77,819 | $37.41 |
| 51 | Wyoming | $94,388 | $45.38 |
The highest-paying cities for business development leads are San Francisco, CA, Boston, MA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $150,452 | $72.33 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $138,566 | $66.62 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $136,465 | $65.61 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $136,384 | $65.57 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $131,912 | $63.42 |
| 6 | Richmond, VA | $128,653 | $61.85 |
| 7 | Saint Louis, MO | $121,301 | $58.32 |
| 8 | Ann Arbor, MI | $119,858 | $57.62 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $118,918 | $57.17 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $117,206 | $56.35 |
| 11 | Portland, ME | $115,535 | $55.55 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $115,529 | $55.54 |
| 13 | Saint Paul, MN | $115,477 | $55.52 |
| 14 | Albany, NY | $113,916 | $54.77 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $111,904 | $53.80 |
| 16 | Dallas, TX | $111,295 | $53.51 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $107,908 | $51.88 |
| 18 | Washington, DC | $104,473 | $50.23 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $103,216 | $49.62 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $103,171 | $49.60 |
A business development lead's salary ranges from $84,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $167,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $167,000 | $13,917 | $80 |
| 75th Percentile | $142,000 | $11,833 | $68 |
| Average | $118,868 | $9,906 | $57 |
| 25th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 10th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
The highest paying types of business development leads are vice president, business development, head of business development, and senior business development manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Partner | $96,324 | $8,027 | $46.31 | 106,251 |
| Market Development Manager | $111,159 | $9,263 | $53.44 | 173,901 |
| Development Manager | $110,678 | $9,223 | $53.21 | 111,137 |
| Director Of Sales & Business Development | $82,584 | $6,882 | $39.70 | 163,561 |
| Account Development Manager | $72,375 | $6,031 | $34.80 | 214,004 |
| Sales Development Manager | $102,790 | $8,566 | $49.42 | 171,101 |
Top companies hiring business development leads now:
Business development lead salaries at Apple and Airbnb are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business development lead salary at companies like Meta and Genentech are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $162,127 | $77.95 |
| 2 | Airbnb | $160,120 | $76.98 |
| 3 | Meta | $159,420 | $76.64 |
| 4 | Genentech | $158,201 | $76.06 |
| 5 | $157,133 | $75.54 | |
| 6 | Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc | $146,692 | $70.53 |
| 7 | Coursera | $146,544 | $70.45 |
| 8 | Chegg | $146,129 | $70.25 |
| 9 | Goldman Sachs | $145,655 | $70.03 |
| 10 | Citi | $145,217 | $69.82 |
| 11 | Cloudflare | $145,155 | $69.79 |
| 12 | Ernst & Young | $143,350 | $68.92 |
| 13 | Corning Incorporated | $142,613 | $68.56 |
| 14 | Squarespace | $140,830 | $67.71 |
| 15 | Duolingo | $139,806 | $67.21 |
| 16 | Amazon | $138,979 | $66.82 |
| 17 | RH | $138,218 | $66.45 |
| 18 | Idaho Power | $138,029 | $66.36 |
| 19 | AECOM | $137,513 | $66.11 |
| 20 | ViacomCBS | $136,722 | $65.73 |
The average business development lead salary has risen by $21,872 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business development lead earned $96,996 annually, but today, they earn $118,868 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for business development leads over the last decade.
Compare business development lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare business development lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $119,000 | $57.15 | +3.7% |
| 2025 | $114,000 | $55.01 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $112,000 | $53.98 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $111,000 | $53.15 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | $110,000 | $52.73 | +1.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masco | Business Development Leader-Architects & Designers (A&D) | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $118,300 |
| Qualified Disability Specialists | Business Development Lead | Palo Alto, CA | 06/29/2025 | $150,000 |
| Vestiaire Collective | Account and Business Development Team Lead | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $115,000 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | Cloud Business Development Lead | Rowe, MA | 06/28/2025 | $138,500 |
| State of New York | Business Value Development Lead (Project Coordinator) Ref#8951 | Albany, NY | 06/28/2025 | $118,425 |
| Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. | Oliver Wyman Actuarial-Business Development Principal-Life | Hartford, CT | 06/27/2025 | $185,000 |
| Clark Insurance | Oliver Wyman Actuarial-Business Development Principal-Life | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $185,000 |
| Clark Insurance | Oliver Wyman Actuarial-Business Development Principal-Life | Hartford, CT | 06/27/2025 | $185,000 |
| DLR Group | Business Development Leader, Professional Sports | Chicago, IL | 06/26/2025 | $115,000 |
| Tak Communications, Inc. | Business Development Leader, Telecommunications Construction | Houston, TX | 06/26/2025 | $125,000 |
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